I've been thinking about why Obama has fastened onto the settlements issue vis a vis Israel as opposed to some other thing -- right of return, the violence in Gaza, what have you. I suspect the answer is that the settlement criticism is pretty clean and unassailable. No one can defend expanding the settlements on any rational grounds. Oh, there are people who do defend them, sometimes on security grounds and sometimes on the basis of Biblical prophesy.

But they can't really logically be defended. Everyone knows they're a huge impediment. So they are the Achilles Heel. From a political perspective I guess I can see not clouding it up with anything else. It's the point on which Israelis (whether under this government or a new one) will have to give at some point. At that point, the principle of compromise will have been established, and then you can get to the harder things.

But, you say, Bibi will never relinquish on this. Well, maybe, which is why I said above that it might have to be a new government. But read these interesting poll results from Israel, written up by my pal Jo-Ann Mort at TPM Cafe. Every Friday, she writes, the Israeli papers publish polls on various topics. This week's highlight has to do with the settlements. Read on:

Q: Should Netanyahu acquiesce to Obama's demands or reject these even at thecost of sanctions? Acquiesce -- 56% Not acquiesce -- 40%

Q: Should Israel agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state as partof a peace deal? Agree -- 55% Not agree -- 41%

Q: Is Obama's policy good for Israel? Not good -- 53% Good -- 26%

Q: How would you rate Netanyahu's performance since being elected primeminister? Good -- 47%Not good -- 45%

Q: Are you satisfied with Netanyahu's conduct in addressing the crisis withthe United States?Satisfied -- 34% Not satisfied -- 47%

Q: Will Netanyahu eventually agree to the establishment of a Palestinianstate? Will agree -- 44% Will not agree -- 50%

Q: Of whom Obama is being more considerate: Israel's security needs or thePalestinians desire to establish a state? The Palestinian's desires --51% Israel's needs -- 22%

Q: Who is responsible for the crisis with the United States? Obama -- 28% Netanyahu -- 16% Both parties -- 50%

Okay. Low marks for Obama there -- and he probably has similarly low marks among Palestinians, who probably feel he's pushing them more. But there's dissatisfaction with Bibi too, and a reasonably strong majority in support of the new US position on the settlements.

By the way: the "new" US position is officially no different from the Bush administration's position, which was also backed a freeze -- officially. The difference was that the Bush administration was full of people in policy-making positions who disagreed with the official policy and thus winked and never enforced it (there is also speculation, as Yglesias has noted, that the Bushies had some kind of secret codicil with Israel that actually undercut the official policy).